Month: July 2024

Any Day Now – Day 55

On July 8, 2024

(Joh 3:36) He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

(Rom 1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

(Eph 5:6) Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

(Col 3:6) For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

(Rev 6:16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

(Rev 14:10) The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

(Rev 14:19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

(Rev 15:1) And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

(Rev 15:7) And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

(Rev 16:1) And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Sin runs rampant in our world today. It is easy to spot as we compare the world’s condition to the Ten Commandments! What does one think will happen when sin is left un-repented? As you read through today’s verses, you can see what will happen. It is the whole purpose of the preaching one hears about the end times today!

However, has this preaching changed men’s hearts? It is as though sin has abounded. Men parading themselves naked in front of children at a “pride” parade is one example. Their hearts have grown so cold that they reject anything spiritual. They are consumed with the lust of the flesh. Worse yet, the hearts of women have grown cold. They literally have brought their innocent young children to that sinful parade to begin with.

God’s wrath is coming upon these children of disobedience, and upon the earth itself. There is no party awaiting them in Hell. Only eternal torment of burning flesh awaits them. It is our job to take the gospel out to the world around us. We are to start in our circle: our family, friends, and strangers. Be ready!

(1Pe 3:15) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

You may say that no one has asked you to share your testimony with them. Does your life reflect the hope that is in you? We have that blessed hope of Christ’s return for His Bride in the Rapture! If you are not looking for His return every day, you are not focusing on the right things!

(Tit 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

If you do not have a burden for lost souls, there’s something wrong. People in your circle may not hear about the Gospel from anyone else except through you! Do you not realize what their eternity will be like if they die without Christ. Does this not mean anything to you? Throughout eternity they will see and feel their flesh burning. They will be separated from Christ and what they could have had if you had shared the Gospel! Their blood will be on your hands because the fear of witnessing to them overcame you.

(Eze 3:18) When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

There are so many lost souls running around us. They have holes in their hearts that are empty and they are seeking peace but cannot find it. But they will never know the peace that God gives. You know that peace – why aren’t you sharing it?

(Php 4:7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

(Col 3:15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

This peace is good news and a wonderful blessing in these end times. Won’t you share it? Friend, you must be born again in order to participate, no matter what viewpoint you hold. Friend, if you are not born again, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 54

By Kate Plourde

On July 5, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

2Th 2:1-10 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, (2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. (3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? (6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. (8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: (9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, (10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

There were debates of when the Rapture would take place even in the Apostle Paul’s day. He taught on the topic of the Rapture more than any other Apostle. Some believe that it is because he was caught up (harpazo) to the third heaven. (2 Cor. 12:2-4) He knew what glory was like and wanted to encourage the brethren with teachings on being “caught up” (harpazo). The debates of when the Rapture is to occur still go on today. You would think that people would learn but they still bicker. It is sad that the Christian world spends time debating rather than leading lost souls to Christ.

But let’s take a look at what the Holy Spirit teaches us in Paul’s writings. The Spirit wants to make sure that we are not “soon shaken in mind, or be troubled.” God is literally telling us to STUDY and have a sure footing on what we believe. Notice that verse 2 warns us that there will be preachers’ words, or letters that appear to be from the Apostles stating that the Second Coming is at hand. Even in his day, the Paul-taught Thessalonians were swaying in their doctrine. Can you imagine how much worse it is today?

Paul emphatically repeats, that the Second Coming will not come until there come a falling away first and that the Antichrist will be revealed. (verse 3) All Rapture viewpoints agree on this point. Paul continues to remind the Thessalonians in verse 5 that the Rapture will happen prior to this: “Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things”? The Pre-Tribulation Rapture is such an important topic that Paul felt the need to expound further. Here is where all other Rapture viewpoints collapse.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. (7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE who now letteth will let, until HE be taken out of the way. (8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Something/someone is hindering the Antichrist’s entrance to the seven-year Tribulation period. (2 Thessalonians 2:6) For the Antichrist’s “spirit” is already at work; in fact, even in Paul’s day. But someone (verse 7) is stopping the Antichrist’s appearance! He who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. The Greek word for “letteth” is:

katechō
kat-ekh’-o
From G2596 and G2192; to hold down (fast), in various applications (literally or figuratively): – have, hold (fast), keep (in memory), let, X make toward, possess, retain, seize on, stay, take, withhold.

Who alone can hold back the forces of evil on the earth? God of course! With the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Church, the evils of this world cannot overpower.

The Holy Spirit is like the dam in today’s picture. He restrains the time of Jacob’s trouble from happening “until he be taken out of the way.” (verse 7)

Mat 16:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE who now letteth will let, until HE be taken out of the way. (8) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We see that the devil cannot dominate this earth and gain control of it because Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church! Where is the Holy Spirit located? He is located within every born-again believer! (Acts 8:15, Ephesians 1:13) The Holy Spirit is who restrains the Antichrist from making his appearance. The Holy Spirit’s restraint is exactly like a dam. But once the church is removed, that dam breaks and the the devil’s evil waters have free reign on this earth.

But how does this prove that the Rapture occurs before the Tribulation period?

2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only HE who now letteth will let, until HE be taken out of the way. ( 8 ) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Verse 7 tells us that the Holy Spirit’s restraint will be removed, taken out of the way. Paul doesn’t stop there. He tells us immediately afterwards, “then shall that Wicked be revealed“! We know this is the Antichrist because he is revealed after the Rapture. We don’t know how long after the Rapture but we DO know that it is after the Rapture. We know the Wicked one is the Antichrist because he is consumed by Christ at His Second Coming! (verse 8)

I hope this settles the Pre-Tribulation Rapture viewpoint in your heart. There are so many Scriptures that support this view. The imminence of the Rapture is important so believers will continue working for the Lord so when the Rapture does occur, they are busy doing His work. Those who claim to be Christians but don’t lift a finger doing Christ’s “Great Commission,” should question whether they have a Pharisee’s heart. What is that? The Pharisees knew a LOT of Scriptures but did not possess the meaning in their hearts. They did the works but did not have the converted heart. Their hearts were made of stone. They were circumcised on the outside (their flesh) but their hearts were not.

Friend, you must be born again in order to participate, no matter what viewpoint you hold. Friend, if you are not born again, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 53

By Kate Plourde

On July 3, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

Luk 21:29-36 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; (30) When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. (31) So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. (32) Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. (33) Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. (34) And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. (35) For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. (36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape ALL these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Jesus made it very clear that the end of the Church age would come when the fig tree shoots forth. There is a reason Jesus points out the fig tree along with all the trees. Why would he include the fig tree if He said “all the trees.” Doesn’t it stand to reason that there is something special about this particular tree? Why the fig tree? The study of “first mentions” reveals that the first time the fig tree was referred to would have significance. We see in Genesis 3:7 that Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to cover their sinful nature, passing it along to every human being thereafter.

As well, we see that the fig tree refers to Israel in Hosea 9:10 and Joel 1:7:

Hos 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Joe 1:7 He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white.

Israel, the fig tree, habitually left God to serve other gods and it no longer bared fruit for the one true living God. Later, in the New Testament, we see it mentioned in Mark 11:13-14:

Mar 11:13-14 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. (14) And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus points out that the fig tree would not produce fruit and man would not eat of it for ever. What fruit will mankind eat from then? It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ, the fruit of His Spirit!

So back on topic, Israel (the fig tree) became a nation on May 14, 1948. This marks the beginning of the end of the age. Jesus said in our opening verses in Mark that this generation would not pass away before all was accomplished. We are that generation, reader! Jesus said: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that “For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape ALL these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Escape what? The answer is the “snare.” The Greek word for snare is “pagis” and is defined in Strong’s Concordance as:

pagis
pag-ece’
From G4078; a trap (as fastened by a noose or notch); figuratively a trick or stratagem (temptation): – snare

The Antichrist will most definitely trap the world with his deceptions, tricks and stratagem during the seven-year Tribulation period. But Jesus says that we can escape this trap. How? We know that to be included in the Church, one must be truly and authentically born again. A true born-again believer cannot be a nominal Christian. We see in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that the old sinful life and all parts of that sinful nature is replaced by a new life that desires the things of God. Once one is born again, he/she is a member of the Church, the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So how do we escape the Antichrist’s trap? We will be counted worthy to participate in the Rapture of the Church. (1 Corinthians 1:50-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18) This escape is not an easy way out as many Christian scholars claim of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture belief. No, dear reader! This is a promise given to the body of Christ. (See Ephesians 1:14-23) We, the Church, are Christ’s body. He cannot allow His own body to go through the Tribulation, which is a time of God unleashing wrath. Romans 8:1 explicitly tells the Church that we are not under condemnation. The Greek word for condemnation and its definition are below:

katakrima
kat-ak’-ree-mah
From G2632; an adverse sentence (the verdict): – condemnation.

The Church is no longer under an adverse sentence of death with a destination of Hell. No indeed! We have been bought with the price of Christ’s shed blood.

1 Cor 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Cor 7:23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Once we realize this, we can see how the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is the only viewpoint that makes sense. Friend, you must be born again in order to participate, no matter what viewpoint you hold. Friend, if you are not born again, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Any Day Now – Day 52

By Kate Plourde

On July 1, 2024

In Any Day Now, Devotionals

Why is timing so important when it comes to the Rapture? If you were expecting your parents to come visit from 3,000 miles, you would be looking forward to it. You would be preparing the guest room, making plans to take them places, as well as planning meals. It is no different when it comes to the Rapture. If you knew the date, you would most likely wait until a few days before their arrival before starting your plans.

Different views:

Pre-Tribulation (imminent – no prophecy needs to be fulfilled – it can happen at any time)
Mid-Tribulation (half-way through the Tribulation at the 1,260 day mark)
Pre-Wrath (at the sixth seal judgment)
Post-Tribulation (after the Tribulation at the 2,520 day mark)

Today we will cover the Post-Tribulation Rapture viewpoint. This one is the last of the viewpoints we will cover. It teaches the Rapture occurs near the end or at the end of the great Tribulation. We know that the Tribulation lasts 2,520 days. This belief, therefore, sets a date for the Rapture to occur.

Furthermore, this belief means that the church will be raptured to the clouds and then immediately return with Christ at the Second Coming. The two events run simultaneously. To summarize, they believe that there is only one coming of the Lord Jesus and that is at His Second Coming.

Their core belief is that God’s people suffered persecution through the centuries, and therefore, the church will go through the Tribulation. There is one major problem with this: Romans 8:1 reveals to us that the Church is not under condemnation and will never go through God’s wrath. The judgments during the Tribulation affect everyone, including believers. This contradicts Romans 8:1. Furthermore, they cannot explain the fact that Jesus went to Heaven in Acts 1:9-11 to prepare a place for us and to receive us unto Himself. (Matthew 14:1-3) Post-Tribulation Rapture believers won’t be going to Heaven because they believe that they meet Jesus in the air and then come back to earth at that point to defeat Satan’s armies. They will then enter the Millennial Kingdom. What happened to going to be with Jesus and experiencing the mansions that He prepared for them in Heaven?

Summary: All the views, except for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture viewpoint, cannot explain why the Church cannot be found after Rev. 4:1 all the way through chapter 21. They assume that the word “saints” in Revelation represents the Church. These are Tribulation saints and not the Church, the Bride of Christ.

As well, there is no timeline for the Rapture. It is imminent, as we learned in our prior studies. Two other viewpoints rely on a timeline. That timeline begins the seven-year Tribulation when the Antichrist signs the peace treaty with Israel. (Daniel 9:27) Therefore, if the Mid-Tribulation Rapture were to be true, they would simply have to count three and a half years, which is 1260 days (Jewish years contain 360 days, not 365) and they would know the exact day. And if the Post-Tribulation Rapture were true, they would have 2,520. There is no imminence in these viewpoints. The Pre-Wrath Rapture viewpoint doesn’t rest its belief on a timeline. However, it does believe that the Church will experience the first five judgment Seals. They cannot find answers to the fact that the word “church” does not appear after Revelation 4:1.

The Pre-Tribulation Rapture viewpoint can answer all the questions relating to timing, as well as the lack of presence of the Church from Revelation chapters 4:1 through 22:15. The word “church” can be found 7 times in Revelation chapters 1 through 3. The word “churches” can be found 12 times in Revelation chapters 1 through 3 and one time in Revelation 22:16. This alone shows that the Church is not present during any of the judgments.

You must be born again in order to participate, no matter what viewpoint you hold. Friend, if you are not born again, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Don’t you want to be a part of the Church when she is raptured into the clouds to meet Jesus? (1 Thessalonians 4:17) Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!